Old Ways Won't Open New Doors
by Hannahmayski
Summary: (Full and better summary inside) Shisui time travels and Tobirama finds himself falling for a strange, pretty Uchiha. (Shisui/Tobirama)


**Summary: "Do you have a name?" Tobirama asked and it took Shisui a painfully long moment to pull his thoughts together. He opened his mouth, wondering if when he spoke the words would dispel this bizarre dream.**

 **"Shisui," he said and nothing happened. Ami, his crow, let out a small noise and hoped off Tobirama's shoulder to sit on Shisui's chest.**

 **There was a look on her face.** ** _This is real_** **it said.** ** _This is all very real._**

 **Shisui had time travelled.**

 **EDIT 6/12/17: fixed spelling and formatting errors!**

* * *

It wasn't exactly common to kayak along the Naka river, but it wasn't uncommon either.

In between wars in the supposed times of peace, it was always more common. It was a relaxing pass time in the hectic life of a shinobi and it wasn't useless either. It was good to strengthen teamwork and it was relaxing and for an individual to row along the river if they had a troubled mind.

It had become a precious past time for Shisui. He often rowed with Tokuma Hyuuga when the clan wasn't trying to fry out his innards by overworking him, but today he rowed it alone.

Today wasn't a special day by any means. The afternoon sun pelted his back and the skin of his arms was likely to be bright red by the time he was finished. Today had just been particularly exhausting.

Itachi was stressed to his limits and Shisui, as Itachi's most common companion, often was the outlet of Itachi's stress. Tokuma was still away on a mission and wouldn't be back for another few weeks so he couldn't visit him. Fugaku had been angry as per usual as the clan was slowly going up in flames and Shisui was tired of dealing with people at their wit's end.

The cry of a bird echoed along the river and Shisui smiled at the sound despite himself. He didn't get to relax anywhere near enough that he should and the sounds of the birds always calmed him.

One of his crows nestled her head against Shisui's cheek. The crow, Ami as he called her, was an old crow and one of his best fighters and companions. She simply enjoyed his company and he enjoyed hers.

He put the oar on his lap and let himself drift for a moment as he reached up to stroke Ami's feathers.

Ami let out a content noise and cheerfully jumped her way to the front of the boat.

He picked up the oar again and directed the boat around the corner. This length of the river was his favourite. It was the quietest area with the huge unique Fire Country trees lining each side. The smaller animals could often be seen drinking from the river if he was quiet enough.

Ami glanced back at him as they rounded the corner, fluttering her wings excitedly as though reading Shisui's mind. She was always too smart for her own good, but that was one of the reasons Shisui loved her.

A gentle wind ruffled Shisui's hair accompanied with the soft rustle of leaves to the side. Ami was watching the bank, tilting her head from side to side, waiting for a small creature to emerge.

Ami glanced back at him again and then looked back at the bank. Shisui put the oars in his lap again and made sure to watch the bank. Ami loved these trips as much as Shisui and the small wild animals amused her endlessly.

After a few moments of waiting to no avail, Ami let out a quiet, disappointed squawk and settled down, pruning her wings as a distraction.

Shisui picked up the oars again, letting out a quiet chuckle and Ami just sent him a disappointed look before going back to her cleaning.

Shisui began directing them around a recently fallen tree and carefully avoiding a well-hidden rock. Ami let out a squawk and he jerked his head upright as a wave of dizziness struck him hard enough that he dropped the oars and gripped his head.

His vision swam, distorting colours and shapes into a mass of indistinguishable lumps and he let out an involuntary cry as his head pounded against his skull. He distantly registered bumping into something and Ami's small feet gripping tight on his shoulder and her head pressed against his cheek.

He tried to move, pick up the oars and navigate them to the edge of the river bank but his arms were locked up and shaking, gripping his hair and the pain rippled through his head in waves with each more vicious than the last.

Ami squawked but it sounded distant, muffled and all _wrong._

Another wave of pain hit him hard enough that he cried out again and his vision went entirely black.

* * *

There was a rock digging into his back, pain still lingering in his skull, like the residue after a heavy rainfall.

The air smelt wrong. The sounds were wrong. Shisui _felt_ wrong. He knew all that before he opened his eyes.

He refused to move, straining his ears to work out where he was and if he had company. The dizziness earlier was beyond strange, but it definitely wasn't a genjutsu, Shisui would have known immediately of it was. Maybe it was some sort of strange bloodline limit? Utilising soundwaves possibly?

There was a noise. A tiny distressed cry of a bird that Shisui would recognise anywhere - Ami.

He opened his eyes and grunted as a bright light blinded him. Hands were touching him then, on his face and on his shoulders. He twitched away impulsively and tried to sit up but another wave of dizziness stole his vision and he swayed on the spot. Ami cried out again - clearly distressed but it didn't sound like she was scared of whoever was with them.

There was another voice talking to her and to Shisui himself, calm and relaxed.

Ami was worried about _Shisui._

The arms bracing him upright lowered him back to the soil and he tried to open his eyes again.

White, spiky hair. Red tattoos on his cheeks and chin. Red, fierce but calm eyes stared back at him. Old fashioned armour.

Tobirama Senju stared down at him, a small smirk pulling at his lips.

"With me now?" he asked.

Shisui nodded and winced, his head still sensitive and Tobirama leaned closer and placed glowing hands on either side of Shisui's face. The relief was instant and he couldn't help the sigh that left him.

"Better?" he asked, tilting his head to the side as Ami jumped up onto Tobirama's shoulder and tilting her head as well.

Shisui managed a tiny nod.

He blinked and looked around. He was still near the Naka river but his kayak was gone and the forest surrounds were remarkably different. The trees that stood huge were smaller and there were other trees that were large enough that Shisui wouldn't be able to wrap his arms around that certainly weren't there before.

The distant, heavy mass of chakra that was Konoha wasn't there either - or for some strange reason, Shisui couldn't sense it.

He quickly slammed down the panic and forced himself to look back at the Second Hokage who definitely wasn't the Second yet.

Tobirama, still incredibly young compared to the pictures Shisui had seen of him, likely around Shisui's age, had now raised an eyebrow and was studying him curiously.

Tobirama's hands were lightly touching Shisui's arm, a slight warning in it if Shisui were to try to hurt him, but Tobirama was definitely real and Shisui could tell it wasn't a genjutsu.

"Do you have a name?" he asked and it took Shisui a painfully long moment to pull his thoughts together. He opened his mouth, wondering if when he spoke the words would dispel this bizarre dream.

"Shisui," he said and nothing happened. Ami let out a small noise and hoped off Tobirama's shoulder to sit on his chest.

There was a look on her face. _This is real_ it said. _This is all very real._

Shisui had time travelled.

"Are you going to throw up?" Tobirama was talking again, hands hovering and unsure of what to do.

Shisui stared back at Ami for a moment as she glared him into movement. Shisui pulled himself upright again - slowly this time - and looked Tobirama in the eye.

"I'm fine I think. Thank you…" he trailed off, feigning ignorance of Tobirama's name. Shisui was in the past. In the era of the warring states period. Tobirama Senju hadn't risen to fame yet. He was just a young shinobi like Shisui himself. It would do him no good to share his knowledge. He'd be ruled off as an enemy who knew too much.

"Tobirama," he said after a moment, still watching Shisui with endless curiosity.

"My apologies to burden you. I suppose I am in your debt now." Shisui wasn't sure what Tobirama would do with that, but he needed to gain his trust and as an Uchiha, he doubted Tobirama would give it. He couldn't lie though. Tobirama would find out eventually, he just needed to deliver it right.

As far as anyone in this era was concerned Shisui was an orphan, parents killed during one of the many conflicts and Shisui was left behind in the rush. A rouge Uchiha. Absolutely possible and entirely believable.

Tobirama hummed, contemplating and leaned back on his feet, watching Ami nestle herself comfortably on Shisui's head.

"Clan?" he asked.

Shisui didn't really look like an Uchiha. Skin not pale enough, hair not dark enough or straight enough. Not to mention his personality was a stark contrast to most other Uchiha. He thanked the lucky stars. His story became that more believable. With no influence of the Uchiha for the majority of Shisui's life, it makes sense that he turned out different.

Shisui paused appropriately, studying Tobirama as well. This admission could go two ways, and he was hoping it wouldn't go _too_ poorly.

Shisui and Tobirama were likely at a similar level of strength at the moment, but Shisui's head was still cloudy and Tobirama would probably be able to beat him in this state. This needed to go right.

"Uchiha. Non-affiliated, however," Shisui said and thanked whatever gods may exist that he was only wearing some comfortable civvies. Unusual for him, but he's decided against a uniform due to most of them being dirty and unwearable from a mission he'd gone on a few days prior. Maybe he could pull this off.

Tobirama visibly tensed and almost recoiled from him but stopped himself as he really took in Shisui's appearance.

"I haven't been associated with the Uchiha since I was a child. My parents were killed in one of the conflicts many years ago. It's likely no one from the clan will even recognise me."

Tobirama let out a noise of intrigue and flinched back as Ami cawed loudly and jumped off Shisui's head and on Tobirama's lap.

Without seeing her face, Shisui could tell she was giving Tobirama that particular look, that one that said that he better believe her.

Tobirama pulled himself into a standing position and looked down at Shisui. "I've never seen you before. Nor have I ever seen an Uchiha with crow companions and I am very good at remembering faces."

He let out a small huff of amusement. "I know the faces of almost all the Uchiha and you don't even have the same uniform as them. You can't have been a spy waiting for me since I didn't even plan to go this way, and I only came upon you by fluke."

He reached down to him, sliding Shisui's hand into his own. "You can repay me by doing as I say now. Promise me you will remain unaffiliated with the Uchiha for the foreseeable future."

Shisui slowly eased himself upright. It was bizarre, this entire situation. But Tobirama was definitely real, and the surrounding area was much younger and Konoha didn't exist.

And Tobirama's hand was warm in his own.

It was a strange situation, But maybe he could adapt to this timeline, to holding the _Second Hokage's_ hand. Maybe this way maybe he could save his clan before all the problems even began.

"That I can most definitely do," Shisui said and gave a polite tilt of his head and found himself unable to look away from him.

Maybe, Shisui could stop the conflict between Madara and Hashirama. Maybe he could stop Tobirama from killing Izuna. Maybe he could fix these problems before anyone even knew they were problems.

Tobirama nods back and tilts his head at the river. "How did you manage to injure yourself, Shisui?"

Shisui shrugged, an embarrassed grin spreading across his face and he let out a nervous chuckle. "I must have fallen and hit my head, maybe. I'm not sure." Technically speaking, Shisui really wasn't sure what had happened to him so it fit in quite well into the story.

Tobirama nodded and reached out his other hand, running it through Shisui's curls. "I really hope your story is true, and that we won't have to fight one day," he looked into Shisui's eyes, a gentle, barely noticeable smile on his face.

Tobirama was oddly beautiful in that light. His hair almost sparkling in the sunlight and his eyes as radiant as the Sharingan. He found himself reaching forward, returning the touch, running his hands through the silver spikes.

"It is. I promise you."

Several long seconds that Shisui didn't want to end passed and Tobirama pulled away with obvious reluctance. "I suppose you will have to come with me. All your belongings are missing," he pointed out, looking around the area at Shisui's feet.

Shisui pulled his hand out of Tobirama's surprisingly soft hair and couldn't help his unexpected disappointment at the absence of Tobirama's hand in his own and looked around as well. He didn't bring much with him on the kayak aside from some kunai that were still on his person and some food that was in is duffle bag but that had disappeared along with the kayak.

"I should be able to manage," Shisui said. Depending on what Tobirama did when they reached the Senju compound could make his life a lot harder or a lot easier. He could announce that he was an Uchiha, although whoever was clan head at the time would likely have him killed. He could bring him in and feign a last name. He could leave him on the outskirts of the compound and retrieve whatever items he supposed Shisui needed.

But if he didn't go with Tobirama at all, he only had a few Kunai, the clothes on his back an Ami with him and that wouldn't last him forever. Maybe it was worth the risk. Tobirama wasn't stupid, even at the tender age of 16. He'd figure something out.

Tobirama held out the crook of his arm, another surprisingly romantic gesture for their first meeting, but Shisui was hardly complaining. Tobirama was a beautiful man.

"I won't let them hurt you," he said and Shisui could see no lie in his words.

History had told that, while strong and dangerous, Tobirama was never needlessly violent, and really he had no reason to hurt Shisui, no reason to turn on him after saving him and holding his hand as gently as he had.

Shisui smiled, surprised at how genuine and _happy_ it felt on his face and slipped his arm around Tobirama's.

He would miss Itachi, Tokuma, Sasuke and his other precious people. His heart would ache at their sudden absence, but maybe, just maybe he could make their lives better.

Maybe, just maybe, he could finally save the Uchiha.

* * *

 **(This probably sucks)  
ANYWAY this is all Tumblrs fault bc anons kept throwing Shisui/Tobirama at me and a kayak got involved and this happened. I have no idea what I'm doing anymore.**

 **(Also sorry for any errors!)**


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